Dosing bottle and method

ABSTRACT

A dosing bottle is made by injection molding a synthetic resin preform with a threaded neck finish portion and a body portion. The neck finish has an internal collar adjacent said lower end thereof. The preform is removed from the injection mold and inserted into the mold of a blow molding machine. The mold has a cavity with a body portion conforming to the desired configuration and dimensions for the body of the bottle and a neck portion closely conforming to the configuration and dimensioning of the neck portion closely conforming to the configuration and dimensioning of the neck portion of the preform. The preform is heated and inserted into the blow mold cavity with the neck finish portion of the preform being sealed from the body portion of the cavity. Air is introduced into the body portion of the preform to blow the body portion of the preform into conformity with the body cavity while precluding any distortion of the collar and of the neck finish.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to dosing bottles for dispensing metered amounts of liquids stored therein.

Synthetic resin bottles are widely employed for storing various types of liquid. Such a bottle may include a fitment which will function to deliver a metered amount of the contents, and such bottles are frequently referred to as dosing bottles.

Generally, such bottles involve a fitment which seals the neck finish of the bottle. When the bottle is turned upside down, fluid flows into the neck finish through a fill tube. When the bottle is restored to its normal position, fluid above the level of an aperture in the fill tube will drain back into the main body of liquid in the container. The metered amount is then poured into the cap.

To ensure delivery of the proper volume of liquid, it is important that the fitment be precisely positioned in the neck finish. To provide greater control of the dimensioning, the preforms are injection molded with a controlled neck finish portion, and the fitment must be positioned within the neck finish to control volume.

When the preform is inserted into the stretch blow mold, air is introduced under pressure to cause the side walls to blow outwardly. The blowing pressure can produce distortion of the injection molded neck finish, and any distortion will produce some variation in the amount of liquid which is intended to be dispensed in metered doses.

Moreover, some prior art dosing bottles employ fairly complicated structures to seat the fitment.

Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a method for making a dosing bottle wherein the neck finish of the bottle is closely controlled and protected against deformation.

It is also an object to provide such a method which is adaptable to different dosing volumes.

Another object is to provide a novel dosing bottle wherein the fitment can be securely positioned by friction and the volume of the doses is repeatable.

A preform can be molded to very close high tolerances, particularly with respect to the neck finish portion. By the process of the present invention, the preform is placed in the blow mold and the neck finish is sealed about its periphery so that the pressurized air does not effect any distortion of the neck finish.

The volume to be dispensed can be varied by the selection of fitments of various dimensions. The fitment firmly seats on an internal should of the neck finish and the fitment is pushed downwardly so that its periphery frictionally engages in the neck finish.

The process of assembly is thus fairly simple and reliable as to placement of the next finish and the volume thereabove.

Thus, it can be seen that the method of the present invention is one which can be practiced readily and reliably to produce a dosing bottle in which the fitment is securely positioned within the neck finish, thus, ensuring the delivery of the desired volume of liquid in each dose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now been found that the foregoing and related objects may be readily attained in a dosing bottle by injection molding a synthetic resin preform having a threaded neck finish portion and a body portion, the neck finish having an internal collar providing a peripheral shoulder adjacent the lower end thereof, and the preform is removed from the injection mold. A blow molding machine is provided with a blow mold having a cavity with a body portion conforming to the desired configuration and dimensions for the body of the bottle and a neck portion closely conforming to the configuration and dimensioning of the neck portion of the preform. The preform is heated and inserted into the blow mold cavity with the neck finish portion of the preform being sealed from the body portion of the body cavity. Air is introduced into the body portion of the preform to blow the body portion of the preform into conformity with the body cavity while precluding any distortion of the collar and of neck finish.

Desirably, the blow mold includes separate elements seated in the mold cavity and abutting the neck finish to enable the preform internal collar and neck finish to remain free from any alteration during the blowing step. The mold around the preform neck finish extracts heat from the neck finish of the preform. There is included a step of inserting a fitment into the neck finish to firmly seat on the internal shoulder in the neck finish of the blown bottle, and the preferred fitment is a cup-shaped dosing fitment with a peripheral flange firmly seating on the shoulder.

Desirably, the fitment has bosses on its exterior surface which are compressed upon its insertion into the bottle to enhance the frictional engagement. The resultant dosing bottle comprises a container having a body portion with a sidewall, a bottom wall, an elongated neck finish with at least one external collar adjacent the lower end thereof, and a shoulder portion extending between the sidewall and the neck finish; the neck finish having an internal collar providing a shoulder adjacent the lower end thereof. A generally cup-shaped dosing fitment has a flange which is seated on the shoulder and friction fit into and sealing the lower portion of the neck finish from the body portion. A tube is seated in the dosing fitment and extends upwardly of the dosing member, and the wall of the tube having an aperture therein above the dosing member. The bottle includes a cup-shaped closure engaged on the neck finish of the blown bottle.

Preferably, the fitment has bosses on its periphery which are compressed upon insertion into the bottle to increase the frictional engagement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a dosing bottle embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the preform for the bottle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the preform;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the dosing fitment fractionally engaged in the bottle; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the bottle mold with the preform seated therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning first to FIG. 1, therein illustrated is a dosing bottle embodying the present invention and comprised of the bottle generally designated by the numeral 10, the cap generally designated by the numeral 12, and the dosing fitment generally designated by the numeral 14. The bottle 10 has a base wall 16, a body 18, a neck finish 20 and a shoulder portion 22 extending upwardly from the peripheral wall of the body 18 to the neck finish 20.

The cap 12 has internal threads 24 which engage the external threads 26 on the neck finish 20 and there are two outwardly extending collars 28 on its peripheral surface.

As best seen in FIG. 4, the neck finish 20 includes an internal collar 30 adjacent the lower end thereof which provides an upwardly disposed horizontal shoulder 32.

The fitment 14 is cup-shaped with a peripheral wall 36 having a collar 38 thereabout. A feed tube 40 is integrally molded and extends upwardly above the fitment 14. Diametrically opposed apertures in the tube 40 allow excess fluid to flow therethrough and back into the body of liquid in the bottle. On the exterior of the peripheral wall 36 are small bosses 44 when placed in the bottle.

When the fitment 14 is inserted into the bottle 10 and pushed downwardly, the collar 38 seats on the shoulder 32 and the bosses 44 are compressed to provide frictional engagement of the fitment 14.

In use, the bottle is filled with the liquid to be dispensed and, when turned upside down, the liquid flows through the tube 40 into the neck finish. When the bottle 10 is restored to its original position, the fluid above the apertures 42 flows through the tube 40 into the body of the container.

Turning now to FIG. 5, a mating pair of molds generally designated by the numeral 50 have a main cavity 52 and a neck finish cavity 54. Inserts 56 seats the neck finish cavity 54 so that, when air is introduced to blow the body portion of the preform into conformity with the inner surface of the bottle 10, the neck finish is not distorted.

The external collars 28 on the neck finish of the preform seat in a preform transfer unit and the lower collar seats on the mold 50 to position the preform 14. 

1. A method for making a dosing bottle, the steps comprising: (a) injection molding a synthetic resin preform having a threaded neck finish portion and a body portion, the neck finish having an internal collar providing a peripheral shoulder, the internal collar adjacent the lower end of the neck finish; (b) removing the preform from the injection mold; (c) providing a blow molding machine with a blow mold having a cavity with a body portion conforming to the desired configuration and dimensions for the body of the bottle and a neck portion closely conforming to the configuration and dimensioning of the neck portion of the preform; (d) heating the preform; (e) inserting the heated preform into the blow mold cavity with the neck finish portion of the preform being sealed from the body portion of the blow mold cavity; and (f) introducing air into the body portion of the preform to blow the body portion of the preform into conformity with the body portion of the blow mold cavity while precluding any distortion of the internal collar and of the neck finish.
 2. The method for making a dosing bottle of claim 1 wherein the blow mold includes separate elements seated in the blow mold cavity, the separate elements abutting the neck finish to enable the preform internal collar and the neck finish to remain free from any alteration during the introducing air step.
 3. The method for making a dosing bottle of claim 1 wherein the neck portion of the blow mold extracts heat from the neck finish of the preform.
 4. The method for making a dosing bottle of claim 1 further comprising the step of inserting a fitment into the neck finish to firmly seat on the peripheral shoulder provided by the internal collar within the neck finish of the bottle.
 5. The method for making a dosing bottle of claim 1 further comprising the step of inserting a cup-shaped dosing fitment into the neck finish, the fitment having a peripheral flange firmly seating on the peripheral shoulder provided by the internal collar within the neck finish of the bottle.
 6. The method for making a dosing bottle of claim 1 wherein the preform includes an external collar, and further wherein the inserting the heated preform step includes seating the external collar of the preform on an outer surface of the blow mold.
 7. The method for making a dosing bottle of claim 1, further comprising the step of inserting a fitment into the neck finish of the bottle, wherein the fitment has bosses on its exterior surface which are compressed upon its insertion into said bottle to enhance the frictional engagement between the fitment and the bottle. 8.-10. (canceled)
 11. A method of making a container comprising: injection molding a preform having a body and a neck; providing a mold having a body cavity and a neck cavity; placing the preform into the mold such that the body of the preform is received within the body cavity of the mold and the neck of the preform is received within the neck cavity of the mold; providing an insert seated in the mold at the neck cavity, the insert abutting at least a portion of the neck of the preform; inflating the preform into conformity with the body cavity of the mold; and preventing distortion of the neck of the preform through the contact between the insert and the neck of the preform.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the neck of the preform includes an upwardly disposed horizontal shoulder.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the insert contacts the neck adjacent the upwardly disposed horizontal shoulder such that the insert prevents distortion of the neck.
 14. The method of claim 11 wherein the body of the preform includes a peripheral wall and the neck of the preform includes a peripheral wall, wherein the peripheral wall of the body of the preform includes a reduced diameter portion located at an upper end of the body of the preform, and further wherein the peripheral wall of the neck of the preform includes a tapered portion joining the neck of the preform to the body of the preform.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the tapered portion of the neck defines an angled surface, and further wherein at least a portion of the insert is angled to match the angled surface of the tapered portion of the neck.
 16. The method of claim 11 wherein the insert further includes a generally horizontal upper surface, wherein the preform includes an outwardly extending collar, and further wherein the outwardly extending collar seats on the generally horizontal upper surface of the insert.
 17. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of providing an insert includes sealing the neck of the preform from the body cavity of the mold.
 18. The method of claim 11 further comprising heating the preform prior to the step of placing the preform into the mold.
 19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of extracting heat from the neck of the preform.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the insert extracts heat from the neck finish of the preform.
 21. The method of claim 11 further comprising removing the perform from the injection mold.
 22. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of inflating the preform includes introducing air under pressure to cause the body of the preform to blow outwardly.
 23. A blow mold system configured to form a synthetic resin container from a heated preform, the system comprising: a synthetic resin preform, the preform comprising: a body, the body including a body side wall, the body side wall having an outer surface, the outer surface of the body side wall including a reduced diameter portion located at an upper end of the body portion of the preform; a neck, the neck having a neck side wall, the neck side wall including an outer surface and a tapered portion, the tapered portion joining the neck to the body; and an upwardly disposed horizontal shoulder positioned within the neck of the preform; and a mold, the mold comprising: a main cavity configured to receive the body of the preform; a neck cavity configured to receive the neck of the preform; and an insert including a first surface wherein the first surface of the insert abuts the outer surface of the neck side wall along the tapered portion when the insert is seated in the mold. 